Thu Sep 26 14:13:04 UTC 2024: ## Calgary Police Release First Race-Based Data, Revealing Disparities in Interactions

**Calgary, AB** – The Calgary Police Service (CPS) has released its first-ever race-based data, marking a significant step in its efforts to track and address potential bias within the force. The data, collected from five categories including missing persons, officer contacts, and victims/offenders of crime, reveals concerning trends.

The report, analyzed by applying concepts of disproportionality and disparity, shows that Indigenous and Black individuals are overrepresented in various interactions with the police compared to their proportion in the city’s population. Indigenous people are 2.5 times more likely to be victims of violent crime, while young people between 12-17 are heavily overrepresented in missing persons reports. Female Indigenous youth, particularly those with a history of going missing, are the most overrepresented group.

While acknowledging the limitations of the data, including reliance on officer perception of race and internal system limitations, the CPS emphasizes this as a starting point for improvement. The organization is already implementing changes, including creating an Indigenous community navigator position within the missing persons unit.

The report has generated mixed reactions. Some applaud the CPS’s transparency and commitment to addressing systemic issues, while others, including Indigenous community members, criticize the data’s lack of social context and its potential for misuse.

Doug King, a criminal justice professor at Mount Royal University, stresses that the data highlights larger societal problems needing attention, while Michelle Robinson, an Indigenous advocate, expresses concern over the potential for misinterpretations and calls for increased accountability from police.

The release of this data has sparked calls for a national mandate for collecting race-based data within police forces and for enhanced collaboration between police and communities. The Calgary Police Commission will be reviewing the data and its implications in future discussions with community partners, with a report expected in January 2025.

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